The London Society is inviting you to pen a love letter to the city – and the best entries will win cash prizes.

“We’re biased, but we believe London is the greatest city in the world,” the Society says.

“It is the nation’s capital, but woven from hundreds of separate communities; the economic powerhouse of the UK with a richly diverse demographic.

“It has an amazing history, but is constantly evolving; it offers world-class art, music, theatre and other live performances. It is home to 9 million people but attracts dozens of millions more each year as visitors.”

The “Love Letters to London” writing competition aims to celebrate the city in all its life, charm and mystery.

“We want you to tell us why you love this city,” they say.

“Write us up to 500 words around the theme of ‘recovery and resilience’.”

To fit with The London Society motto of “valuing the past; looking to the future”, entrants can write on any aspect of London’s past, present or future.

It might be reportage, an historical essay, a “think piece”, a spot of futurology, a work of fiction, a poem. The organisers say that they are open to all forms and styles.

Entries can have been published elsewhere, but must fit the brief and have been written in 2021.

Sponsored by firms of developers and architects,  the competition has five categories, and £700 in prizes in each.

For full details of the competition and how to enter, click here.

• Inside Croydon depends on regular subscriptions from our readers to enable us to continue to deliver exclusive, headline-making and independent journalism – the sort of scrutiny that Croydon Council would prefer did not exist. Please sign up today as a subscriber. Click here

• What’s on inside Croydon: Click here for the latest events listings, powered by Now Croydon

• If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
• Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
• Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, as well as BBC London News and ITV London
  
• ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: Croydon was named the country’s rottenest borough in 2020 in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine – the fourth successive year that Inside Croydon has been the source for such award-winning nominations
• Inside Croydon: 3million page views in 2020. Seen by 1.4million unique visitors